Born: 1907
Died: 1989
President: 1962–1965
North Melbourne Hall Of Fame inductee: 2009

From the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s, letters addressed to players inviting them to train at Arden Street with the North Melbourne Football Club were invariably signed by J.F. Adams.

John Francis “Jack” Adams took on the role of honorary secretary at the club in 1934 and for the next three and a half decades served North Melbourne in almost every conceivable capacity.

Adams had already given the club six years of his free time as a committeeman - joining the committee in 1927 as a 20-year-old - when he ran for, and was elected to, the honorary secretary’s role in 1934, having been assistant secretary from 1928 to 1933. Adams remained in the job for the next 20 years, during which time the position transitioned from honorary to full-time.

It was only illness that eventually forced him to give up the post in 1954, but even then he continued to give his time to the Shinboners, taking on the position of chairman of the third eighteen. As his health improved over the next few years, Adams began to feel the time was right for him to once again take a more active part in club affairs, and in 1957 he returned to the committee, this time as vice-president to Alex Marr.

Marr relinquished the role before the 1962 season, and Adams was persuaded to assume the top job. His time as president was not an easy one, with the club facing significant challenges on and off the field. These culminated in a decision that saw the club ‘merge’ with VFA club Coburg and transfer its headquarters and home ground to Coburg City Oval in 1965. Adams was a strong proponent of the move and once difficult negotiations surrounding the move were completed, he was happy to pass on the president’s baton to Tony Trainor.

He continued to contribute, serving as Trainor’s vice-president until the conclusion of the 1968 season, at which point he stepped aside from the committee.

That brought to a close more than 40 years of dedicated service to North Melbourne, during which time Adams always performed whatever role he held with the club’s best interests at the forefront of his mind. Adams’ only regret during his long tenure was North’s lack of ultimate success. During his time in control, North would play finals in only five seasons, with a Grand Final appearance - a loss to Essendon - in 1950 its high point; however he did enjoy North’s great successes of the seventies.

That dedication was acknowledged with thanks when Jack Adams was inducted into the club’s Hall Of Fame in 2009. Gerard Dowling wrote in The North Story that it could be argued that “Adams’ contribution was the most significant of any individual who has ever worked with the club”.